Banking

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have calculated the value of any increased risk to taxpayers due to an increase in the individual bank leverage cap from 25 to 33 times equity; why they rejected the Independent Commission on Banking's advice to set the figure at 25; and whether the advice of the Bank of England was taken.

Lord Sassoon: In line with Basel III, the Government support a binding minimum 3% leverage ratio as a backstop to risk-based capital requirements. The Government believe that a 4% leverage ratio could become the primary capital constraint on low-risk banks, including those that weathered the recent crisis relatively well. This 4% ratio could create a perverse incentive for such firms to take on more risk. An internationally consistent leverage ratio is important to ensure that UK banks are not put at a competitive disadvantage in a global marketplace.
	The Government have continued to engage the Bank of England closely throughout the process of developing their banking reform policies.

BBC: World Service

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria have been used in deciding which BBC World Service language services to cut or reduce; and what weighting is given to (1) the audience numbers, (2) the circumstances of the listeners, and (3) their ability to access other trustworthy sources of news.

Baroness Warsi: The BBC World Service is managerially and editorially independent and it is for the BBC to decide how services are managed. Under the terms of the broadcasting agreement between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the BBC World Service, no foreign language services can be opened or closed without the written authority of the Foreign Secretary. As part of the BBC World Service's strategy for budget reductions, in January 2011 the Foreign Secretary approved the BBC Trust's proposal to close five services: Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, Portuguese for Africa and English for the Caribbean.
	The decision to close these services and to make changes in other services (including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Russian) was based on a number of factors including the relative importance of each market, the availability of other national and regional independent or free media, audience levels and best predictions for future impact.

Child Abuse: North Wales

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will play in the investigations into historic allegations of sexual and physical abuse in North Wales.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Operation Pallial is still in its initial stages and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is assisting in this review.
	The terms of reference for Operation Pallial detail the delivery outcomes for phase one of the investigation into recent allegations made in relation to historic abuse in North Wales.
	The investigation, led by Keith Bristow, director-general of the National Crime Agency, will draw on the expertise in CEOP in order to deliver the full scope of this review as requested by the chief constable of north Wales and supported by the Home Secretary.
	The reporting of historic abuse will be answered by specially trained NSPCC staff, who will listen to what the individual has to say and treat this in the strictest confidence. With the individual's consent, this information will then be shared with CEOP. Callers to the helpline will be greeted by an initial message in Welsh. After a short introduction, the call will revert to English, unless callers wish to continue in Welsh.

Energy: Biofuels

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what quantity of bio-diesel produced in the United Kingdom from waste oil was claimed by producers for renewable transport fuel certificates for each month for which figures are available since June 2010.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what quantity of bio-diesel produced in the United Kingdom from waste oil was claimed by non-obligated producers for renewable transport fuel certificates for each month for which figures are available since June 2010.

Earl Attlee: The Department for Transport does not collect information on the country in which biofuel is produced, this information is not required to administer the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation or meet reporting requirements under the renewable energy directive. The data provided therefore relate to biofuel where the origin of the relevant feedstock (used cooking oil, or waste oil) is the UK.
	
		
			 Year Month Litres UK used cooking oil against which certificates issued to non obligated suppliers 
			 2010-11 Jun-10 1,101,089 
			  Jul-10 798,369 
			  Aug-10 862,978 
			  Sep-10 2,614,776 
			  Oct-10 977,384 
			  Nov-10 652,368 
			  Dec-10 467,054 
			  Jan-11 313,642 
			  Feb-11 468,304 
			  Mar-11 2,691,126 
			 2011-12 Apr-11 225,252 
			  May-11 898,887 
			  Jun-11 1,234,170 
			  Jul-11 1,011,117 
			  Aug-11 1,064,517 
			  Sep-11 1,131,690 
			  Oct-11 591,047 
			  Nov-11 1,060,209 
			  Dec-11 143,831 
			  Jan-12 33,090 
			  Feb-12 26,668 
			  Mar-12 241,413 
			 2012-13 Apr-12 9,363 
			  May-12 25,816 
			  Jun-12 120,595 
			 Grand Total  18,764,755

Energy: Green Deal

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish an updated version of the Green Deal Code of Practice; and whether it will be in advance of agreement to any Green Deal finance packages.

Baroness Verma: An updated version of the Green Deal Code of Practice was laid in Parliament on 27 November 2012. Provided that neither House resolves not to approve the code, it will be issued by the Secretary of State ahead of Green Deal plans becoming available from 28 January 2013. The code will be reviewed on a regular basis thereafter.

Energy: Nuclear Power Stations

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Verma on 29 November (Official Report, col. 257) that any issues of flood risk to new nuclear power station sites would be dealt with during the planning permission process, whether proposals for that new nuclear power stations will go through a full planning permission process including all environmental impact assessments.

Baroness Verma: The nuclear national policy statement published by the department in 2011 sets out in detail how flood risk is considered in the course of the process of considering applications to build new nuclear power stations. It provides that applicants should submit a flood risk assessment as part of the environmental statement in their application and that the Planning Inspectorate should be satisfied that the applicant is able to demonstrate suitable flood risk mitigation measures. A copy of the national policy statement was placed in the Library of the House at the time of publication.

Energy: Nuclear Power Stations

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether proposals for new nuclear power stations are classified as infrastructure developments and therefore undergo a streamlined planning process; and, if so, whether flood risk is still taken into account.

Baroness Verma: Nuclear power stations are classified as nationally significant infrastructure projects under the terms of the Planning Act 2008 as amended by the Localism Act 2011, and applications to build them are subject to the process set out in that legislation, with my right honourable friend the Secretary of State making a decision following examination and recommendation by the Planning Inspectorate. The nuclear national policy statement published by the department in 2011 sets out in detail how flood risk is considered in the course of the process. A copy of the national policy statement was placed in the Libraries of the House at the time of publication.

Energy: Renewables

Lord Willoughby de Broke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the compliance of biomass generation, including felling, processing, transport and ash disposal, with qualifying standards for low carbon subsidies.

Baroness Verma: The renewables obligation (RO) annual sustainability report, covering biomass feedstocks used between April 2011 and March 2012, reported that 72.84% of solid biomass achieved or reported exempt from the greenhouse gas (GHG) lifecycle emissions saving standard, while 27.16% was reported as unknown. Wastes are exempt from the requirement to report their GHG emissions. The greenhouse gas lifecycle assessment considers emissions associated with feedstock cultivation, harvesting, processing and transport. Ash disposal is an issue for environmental permitting.
	The Government are proposing that power plants of 1 megawatt capacity and above will, from October 2013, be required to meet the biomass sustainability criteria to receive support under the Renewables Obligation.

Energy: Smart Meters

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to engage consumers in the electrical safety aspects of the smart metering programme.

Baroness Verma: The safety of the public, installers and network staff is paramount during the installation of smart meters and their subsequent operation. The energy industry is taking a number of actions ahead of mass rollout to enhance consumer engagement with electrical safety, including:
	the development of a smart meter installation code of practice which is expected to include a requirement for installers to provide guidance on safety to consumers, for example making them aware of the risks of storing objects too close to the meter;meter installers visually inspecting electrical equipment in the area around the electricity meter, using a new checklist; andmeter installers attaching a label close to the electricity meter to raise awareness of the potential dangers of storing combustible material near electrical equipment.

Energy: Smart Meters

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with stakeholders about the funding of consumer engagement initiatives on the smart metering programme.

Baroness Verma: A Government consultation on a smart metering consumer engagement strategy was published in April 2012. This included proposals for funding the delivery of consumer engagement. The consultation closed on 1 June and many of the 56 respondents commented on funding issues.
	The smart metering implementation programme also regularly discusses consumer engagement issues with stakeholders in programme working groups. These meetings have included discussions on the delivery of the smart metering consumer engagement strategy and the funding of the proposed approach.

Energy: Smart Meters

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that smart meter installers undertake electrical safety checks as part of the installation process.

Baroness Verma: In October 2012, energy industry members made amendments to the Meter Operators Code of Practice Agreement (MOCOPA) to require installers to undertake electrical safety checks using a specified checklist at all meter installations.

Financial Conduct Authority

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Financial Conduct Authority will have the power to prevent banks from providing consumers with long-winded and confusing information, such as by limiting the length of terms and conditions for current accounts.

Lord Sassoon: The Government have ensured that the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will be taking a proactive approach to consumer protection and will have a clear focus on the transparency of information that is available to consumers of financial services. This will include the power to tackle confusing information, or intervene where information is not clear.
	Banking conduct of business is currently regulated by the Financial Services Authority via its Banking Conduct of Business Sourcebook. Following the enactment of the Financial Services Bill, this will be undertaken by the new FCA.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any information regarding the use of depleted uranium or white phosphorus, or other weapons capable of causing internal wounds without damaging the surface of the body, during the recent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Baroness Warsi: We have not received any reports or information regarding the use of depleted uranium, white phosphorous or other weapons capable of causing internal damage without inflicting external damage during the recent Gaza conflict.

Gross Domestic Product

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the United Kingdom's gross domestic product to reach its 2008 level.

Lord Sassoon: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing economic and fiscal forecasts. In its December 2012 Economic and Fiscal Outlook publication, the OBR forecast that UK real gross domestic product will exceed its 2008 level in 2014.

Homeless Families

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households have presented themselves as homeless in each London borough in each month since January 2010; and of those how many were families with children.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homeless households with children in London were housed in bed and breakfast accommodation in each month since January 2010; and in each case how many had been living in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks at the start of each month.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homeless households with children in London were rehoused in permanent accommodation in each month since January 2010; and, in each case, how many were rehoused in (1) social housing in the same borough, (2) social housing in another London borough, (3) privately rented accommodation in the same borough, (4) privately rented accommodation in another London borough, (5) social housing outside London, and (6) privately rented accommodation outside London.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homeless households in London were living in hostel accommodation in each month since January 2010; and in each case how many were families with children.

Baroness Hanham: The available information has been placed in the Library. The department collects information on statutory homelessness from local authorities once a quarter and so monthly figures are not available. Some of the information requested is not held.
	More broadly, I would note that the number of homelessness acceptances in London in 2011 (48,510 households) were half the level they were in 2005 (100,170 households) and in 2001 (117,830 households).

Homeless People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to those aged 16 to 25 years living on the streets across the United Kingdom.

Baroness Hanham: Due to the tremendous work of local authorities and leading young people's homelessness charities it is very rare for young people under 18 to end up on our streets.
	A robust homelessness safety net is in place for young homeless people. Local authorities have a statutory duty to house 16 and 17 year olds, care leavers under the age of 21, and people over 21 who are vulnerable as a result of being in care.
	In London in 2011-12, only 14 young people under 18 (16 and 17 year-olds) were found sleeping rough according to information supplied by CHAIN. They were moved swiftly off the streets and supported by outreach teams and social services.
	In August 2012, the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness published its second report Making Every Contact Count which focuses on preventing homelessness and stresses the importance of supporting vulnerable young people to make a successful transition to adulthood. It champions a model of a positive youth accommodation pathway for those who cannot stay within the family network or are leaving care.

House of Lords: Members

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that all Members of the House of Lords retain the correct citizenship status to be a member of the House; and what are the consequences if a Member of the House of Lords is found not to have the correct citizenship.

Lord McNally: If it came to light that a Member of the House of Lords did not have the correct citizenship status to be a member of the House (as provided for by the Act of Settlement 1701 as modified by the British nationality Act 1981) a Writ of Summons would not be issued to such a Member.

Housing

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what schemes for finance for new house building in England they are providing or facilitating; and, in each case, how many and what type of houses are proposed; what is the nature and origin of the finance; and when they expect that the houses will be built.

Baroness Hanham: The Government are providing a wide range of support for new house building in England. Schemes include:
	£19.5 billion of public and private money for new affordable homes in the period to 2015. This will help deliver up to 170,000 affordable homes by 2015 for rent and affordable homeownership;£10 billion of debt guarantees to support delivery of new homes purpose built for private rent and for additional affordable housing; £200 million equity finance for new homes purpose built for private rent, with an expert task force to support delivery of demonstration projects;a share of £300 million to bring an extra 5,000 affordable homes back into use and to support the guarantees in delivering an additional 15,000 affordable homes;the £570 million Get Britain Building investment fund which provides development finance to unlock smaller stalled sites;the Growing Places Fund which provides £730 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promote economic growth, create jobs and build homes;the New Homes Bonus scheme. The Government have made over £630 million of payments to local authorities in the first two years. This is a powerful incentive for councils to support housing and growth and to bring empty homes back into use;the FirstBuy scheme. Over £900 million is being invested by Government and housebuilders to help 27,000 first-time buyers into home ownership;the NewBuy Guarantee scheme helps buyers realise their aspirations for home ownership with a 5% deposit. The Government have provided the necessary guarantee to support lenders to offer 95% Loan To Value new build mortgages; andthe Custom-Homes programme, makes £30 million of government funding available to individuals to build their own home on a repayable basis.
	The Autumn Statement on 5 December announced a new local infrastructure fund to provide up to £474 million to accelerate the delivery of large housing sites; enable the quicker disposal of surplus public land for new homes; and fund small infrastructure projects within enterprise zones. In addition, £100 million to bring forward more public sector sites for development.

Housing: Mortgages

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are monitoring the development by the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of "qualifying mortgages"; and whether they have assessed the value of that concept to encouraging the development of the market in residential mortgage-backed securities, and the availability of credit for home purchase.

Lord Sassoon: The Government continuously monitor developments in international mortgage markets, including the United States. It believes that a sustainable market for UK residential mortgage backed securities is important to ensure that banks can fund residential mortgages. The Government continue to work alongside other regulatory authorities, issuers and investors to achieve this.

Independent Commission for Aid Impact

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the work of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.

Baroness Northover: In 2013, a review of Independent Commission Aid Impact will take place as mandated by the Cabinet Office as part of its triennial review programme for all non-departmental public bodies.

Insurance: Payment Protection Insurance

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government when a terminal date will be set by which claims for compensation for allegedly missold payment protection insurance policies must be lodged.

Lord Sassoon: This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The Treasury has passed this question on to the FSA, which will reply, directly to my noble friend, by letter. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Isles of Scilly

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that Royal Mail are able to sustain a daily mail service to the Isles of Scilly.

Lord Marland: The provision of the universal postal service to the Isles of Scilly is an operational matter for Royal Mail.
	Due to British International Helicopters ceasing to provide services from Penzance to the Isle, Royal Mail has recently changed its contractor to Skybus to ensure that a full daily service of deliveries and collections to the Isles is maintained. The Skybus service, which operates from Land's End airport, was disrupted by flooding but replacement services have been operated from Newquay airport.
	Royal Mail has no plans to change or reduce its services to the isles and could only do so under exceptional circumstances as prescribed and overseen by the postal regulator, Ofcom.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Government of Israel regarding continuing dialogue with Hamas, following the jointly-negotiated ceasefire.

Baroness Warsi: We are pleased that the ceasefire is currently holding and negotiations are ongoing in Cairo. The priority now must be to build on the ceasefire and to address the underlying causes of the conflict, including more open access to and from Gaza for trade as well as humanitarian assistance, and an end to the smuggling of weapons. While we are not involved in these negotiations, we continue to underline our support for them in contacts with the Israeli Government.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Government of Israel regarding immunity from prosecution for war crimes.

Baroness Warsi: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and at our embassy in Tel Aviv have discussed the changes contained in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which amended the procedure of applications for arrest warrants in respect of offences of universal jurisdiction, with representatives of the Israeli Government on a number of occasions.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many joint demarches have been made by the European Union to the Government of Israel in 2012, and in each of the previous two years; and in which cases these have led to a change in Israeli policies and practices.

Baroness Warsi: According to records available, the European Union has made three formal demarches to the Government of Israel in 2012, eight in 2011 and one in 2010. The demarches covered a range of topics including East Jerusalem, Area C and human rights issues.
	Many factors play a role in shaping Israeli policies and practices. Some of these demarches have had some impact. Others have arguably not. However we will continue to make our views on issues that concern us extremely clear.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the proposed European Union travel ban on Israeli settlers convicted or accused of violent acts.

Baroness Warsi: The proposal that the noble Lord refers to is an internal EU document. It is UK policy not to comment on leaked documents.
	We have serious concerns at the increase in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against ordinary Palestinians and Palestinian property. This concern is shared by our EU partners and we work closely with European partners on this issue. In May 2012 EU Foreign Ministers condemned continuous settler violence and deliberate provocations against Palestinian civilians
	Our embassy in Tel Aviv has repeatedly raised our concerns about incidents of settler violence and intimidation, including the importance of bringing those responsible to justice and that the Israel security forces provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, with, among others, the Israeli Attorney-General, Defence Minister and the Israeli Prime Minister's office.

Israel and Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they will hold with the Government of Israel concerning the rebuilding of the Palestinian Paralympic Committee offices and training infrastructure.

Baroness Warsi: We are not planning any discussions with the Israeli Government regarding this issue. The UK is working closely with the UN, which are leading the international response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, to ensure an accurate assessment of needs and an appropriate response.
	The UK is the fourth largest donor to UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and it is continuing to provide health and social services to the population of Gaza.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have received about the present whereabouts of members and the secretary-general of the Palestinian Legislative Council and others reported as arrested on 25 November; and whether they will make representations to the Government of Israel about their release, or bail, if any of them have been charged.

Baroness Warsi: We have not received any information about the present whereabouts of members and the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Legislative Council and others as reported on 25 November. We are following up via our consulate-general in Jerusalem.
	Our embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the issue of prisoners in Israeli prisons, including elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council who have been previously arrested. We continue to call on the Israeli Government to take immediate action to ensure that all such cases are reviewed by a court in accordance with fair procedures, and that detainees' rights are upheld, particularly with regard to fair trial and family visits. All prisoners should have access to a fair trial, and Israel should ensure that it acts always in accordance with international law. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities and to issue statements when appropriate.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues by Israel; and what representations they will make to the Government of Israel on the matter.

Baroness Warsi: We have condemned the Israeli Government's decisions to withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority, build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, to unfreeze planning in the area known as El. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions.
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make our concerns known.

Localism

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the assessment of departmental progress against the localism agenda.

Baroness Hanham: My right honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Greg Clark) has published his report Decentralisation: An Assessment of Progress on 6 December, which quantifies the progress made by Whitehall departments since May 2010. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of both Houses.

Middle East Peace Process

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will support the peace process in the Middle East if negotiations are renewed.

Baroness Warsi: In our view, the priority must be for the new US Administration to lead a major push to restart negotiations.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has said to US Secretary of State Clinton that such an effort would need to be more intense than anything seen since the Oslo Peace Accords and it should be backed by a more active role for European nations. This week's announcement of further settlements underlines the need for urgent progress.

National Insurance

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attractiveness of the United Kingdom as a base for recording commercial music for films, games and similar media, in the light of self-employed musicians potentially falling within the regulations requiring payment of Class 1 national insurance contributions.

Lord Newby: The Government have not made such an assessment. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials have engaged extensively with key representative organisations from the music industry to understand the impacts on the industry of the national insurance treatment of self-employed musicians.
	The Government will consider the outcome of HMRC's discussions with the music industry and the Court of Appeal judgement in the case of ITV Services Ltd v HMRC, expected early in the new year, in order to assess whether there is any detriment to the attractiveness of the United Kingdom as a world-class base for the recording of commercial music.

National Insurance

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress on their deregulatory agenda for small venues, in the light of their potentially being required to pay employers' class 1 national insurance contributions for freelance musicians that they engage.

Lord Newby: The Live Music Act 2012, which came into force on 1 October 2012, benefits small venues by removing unnecessary red tape and reducing costs on those venues, making it easier for them to stage live music. The Department for Culture Media and Sport will shortly be announcing further measures to reduce regulatory and cost burdens on small venues intending to put on entertainment activities, currently licensable under the Licensing Act 2003.
	The national insurance treatment of freelance musicians is not within the scope of the Live Music Act 2012. Earnings-related national insurance serves the specific purpose of providing access to earnings-related contributory benefits. All businesses which are secondary contributors are required to operate national insurance contributions by virtue of engaging individuals subject to class 1 national insurance contributions.

National Insurance

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the outcome of the Upper Tier Tribunal appeal hearing, in the case of ITV Services Ltd v HMRC, on freelance musicians if those who engage them are required to pay class 1 national insurance contributions.

Lord Newby: The ITV Services Ltd v HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) case is subject to appeal at the Court of Appeal and will be heard on 11 December 2012. It is not possible for the Government to make any assessment of the possible impacts of this case until the Court of Appeal judgment has been handed down. The judgment is expected in early 2013.

National Insurance

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the case of ITV Services Ltd v HMRC, regulation or guidance will be introduced to ensure that freelance musicians are distinguished from other professions classified as entertainers for the purposes of deciding whether class 1 national insurance contributions are payable.

Lord Newby: The ITV Services Ltd v HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) case is subject to appeal at the Court of Appeal and will be heard on 11 December 2012. The Government will await the judgement in this case, which is expected early next year before deciding how best to proceed in respect of national insurance and entertainers (including freelance musicians).

National Insurance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 19 November (WA 323), whether employees based in the Channel Islands with no presence, residence or place of business in the United Kingdom, who employ teachers working in the United Kingdom, make available details to HM Revenue and Customs of teachers who are personally liable for secondary employer national insurance and primary employee national insurance and income tax; and, if not, how HM Revenue and Customs ensure that such payments are made.

Lord Sassoon: HM Revenue and Customs receives details from Channel Island employers of teachers working in the United Kingdom when they make returns for the employee national insurance contributions and income tax through PAYE.
	Where a Channel Island company does not make the correct payments for income tax and national insurance, tax and social security legislation places the responsibility on the UK end user of the labour to make the correct payments.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much additional funding they have committed to support the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in its work on profit-shifting by multinational companies.

Lord Sassoon: The UK, French and German Governments have written, jointly, to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development offering voluntary contributions, equivalent to €150,000 each, in order to support rapid progress on its work to tackle profit shifting and the erosion of the corporate tax base at the global level.

Palestine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice, if any, the Foreign Secretary has received from his legal advisers as to whether Palestine satisfies the conditions of statehood in international law.

Baroness Warsi: The UK recognises the progress the Palestinian leadership has made on state-building. We consider that Palestine largely fulfils the criteria for UN membership, including statehood, in so far as the occupation allows. However, this assessment is inseparable from the political context. The UK supports the principle of Palestinian statehood but a Palestinian state will only be brought into reality when the occupation comes to an end through agreement between both sides. The UK will continue to be one of the principal supporters of Palestinian state building efforts, assisting the Palestinians to tackle poverty, build institutions and boost their economy.

Post-2015 Development Framework

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the discussions of the United Nations High-level Panel on the post-2015 development framework that took place in London between 31 October and 2 November.

Baroness Northover: The London meetings of the High-level Panel were well attended and successful. Panel members discussed issues related to poverty reduction at the individual and household levels including human development, jobs and livelihoods. The panellists discussed but did not finalise elements of a vision statement-there was strong support for ending poverty in our time while putting in place the building blocks of sustained prosperity. The panel also had discussions with representatives of youth, civil society and business from around the world.

Railways: East Coast Mainline

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many broken rails have been discovered on the Intercity East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh during 2012.

Earl Attlee: From 1 January 2012 to 3 December 2012, 12 broken rails were reported on the east coast Main line between London and Edinburgh.

Railways: Procurement

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the deadline for transposing into United Kingdom legislation Directive 2011/88/EU of 16 November 2011 amending Directive 97/68/EC as regards the provisions for engines placed on the market under the flexibility scheme; and when they expect transposition to be achieved.

Earl Attlee: The deadline for transposition into UK law was 24 November 2012.
	The amendments necessary to introduce the provisions of the directive are well advanced and the Department for Transport expects to lay the regulations before Parliament early in 2013.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 29 November (WA 81), whether, when specifying the interior design of the proposed Intercity Express trains, they have considered the report by Passenger Focus of April 2009 Designing the future: passengers' preferences for new national intercity rolling stock from 2012.

Earl Attlee: The report by Passenger Focus of April 2009, Designing the Future: Passengers' Preferences for new National Intercity Rolling Stock from 2012, continues to inform the interior design of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains. Representatives from Passenger Focus remain involved in the design review process.

Sudan and South Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the humanitarian situation in disputed border areas of Sudan and South Sudan, including Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, with particular regard to refugee camps and security; and how they are using their position as part of the Sudan Troika and as a permanent member of the Security Council to improve provision of humanitarian access and make progress towards a lasting political settlement.

Baroness Northover: The latest estimates from the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs are that around 900,000 people, have been displaced or severely affected.
	Together with our international partners, we continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan that the continued delay on allowing access is unacceptable, and that they must immediately commit to face-to-face talks, to agree a cessation of hostilities for the facilitation of humanitarian access. The UK has released a further £5 million funding to help meet immediate needs of refugees and to assist with preparedness for a potential 30,000 refugees that may cross in South Sudan in the coming months. In addition, the UK has significantly contributed to the World Food Programme' efforts to provide assistance to 146,000 people in Government-held areas of the two states, and has funded national partners to distribute humanitarian assistance to those affected in these areas.
	We will continue to work closely with our Troika partners, as well as with partners in the African Union and EU and in the Security Council, to maintain pressure on both parties until we see a lasting settlement.

Taxation: Avoidance

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will require equivalent disclosure to United Kingdom tax and other authorities as a condition of allowing Crown Dependencies to enter into agreement with the United States to comply with the requirements of the United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act; and whether they have estimated the likely impact on tax receipts for the United Kingdom as a result of increased insight into tax avoidance and evasion.

Lord Sassoon: The Government are fully committed to tackling offshore tax evasion. The UK-US agreement to improve international tax compliance and to implement FACTA will significantly increase the amount of information automatically exchanged between both countries and will boost HM Revenue and Customs' ability to clamp down on those who seek to hide money overseas. This agreement sets a new standard in international tax transparency. The Government set out in the Autumn Statement that they would look to reach similar agreements with other jurisdictions.
	On 7 December, the Government announced that they would be entering into an agreement with the Isle of Man to move to automatic information exchange. This will follow, as closely as is practicable, the agreement between the UK and the US and will be concluded to the same timetable as the agreement currently being negotiated between the Isle of Man and the US.
	The Government also confirmed that they are in discussions with Jersey and Guernsey about enhanced information exchange. Estimates for the impact on tax receipts will be accounted for in the usual way.